Alani Bankhead congratulates Kurt Alme in US Senate win

Alani Bankhead, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Montana, congratulated Republican Kurt Alme in his U.S. Senate win in a statement Wednesday.

Bankhead, a military veteran, also thanked her supporters for the energy they brought to her campaign.

Alme declared a win late Tuesday, and independent candidate Seth Bodnar, who earned the second most votes, conceded just before midnight.

Bankhead said she’d never seen people work harder for something they believed in, and she thanked people who gave even $5 to show the campaign owed nothing to corporate and out-of-state money.

Bankhead’s campaign pointed out that “prominent Democrats” backed independent U.S. Senate candidates instead of a Democratic nominee in four states including Montana, and all lost.

“We ran on the belief that the Democratic Party is worth rebuilding, not abandoning,” Bankhead said. “We don’t fix the party by denouncing the party, or running from it. We fix the party by listening to the people.”

Bankhead said she would continue to work to elevate Montanans voices, and she encouraged Alme to answer to the people, not donors. Libertarian Kyle Austin also ran.

An email from her campaign said her website would soon post resources for supporters who want to get involved in their county party or run for local office.

“Thank you, Montana,” Bankhead said. “It has been a privilege.”